If you ask me about my impression of China, I would say how strong its food culture is. Every district has its own food culture. If you go up to the North side of China, you can see how people are obsessed with spicy food. This is because the temperature in Northern China is much colder than Southern China. Therefore, people eat spicy food to keep their bodies warm. However, where did my information come from if I have only been to China once?

A Bite of China,a television show that introduces Chinese food culture, has informed me a lot about not only Chinese food culture but also Chinese culture in general. Through watching this television show, I learned about Chinese tradition, life style, behavior, and society. It depicts people’s interactions through making and serving food. Thus, there is story behind every scene for people to dig in to.

CCTV makes a clear goal that targets people’s interest in eating, then presents the story that fits the audience’s taste. The broadcaster has done thorough market research to lead people from diverse countries to get a sense of Chinese culture. Different from other food television shows, A Bite of China records the foods that are not made from famous chefs or expensive restaurants. It depicts the dishes that are made from ordinary people everyday. The show presents Chinese people’s daily diets, their habits of eating, and their food spirit.

Moreover, the show records how the farmers grow the food, and shows the process of making noodles and main dishes from scratch. It gives the audience the chance to get closer with ordinary Chinese living style, thus to understand Chinese society via the portal of food.

The motto of this television show, is “telling the truth.” All of the people that the audience can see on the show are not actors. They are real farmers and cooks. They have no script to memorize; every word and every food dish they make is original. The show has touched my heart because there is story behind every dish. Some recipes are inherited from thousands of years ago, and some recipes are originally made from this generation. It is considered as a food documentary television show that only presents the truth.

Through this television show, China successfully promotes Chinese culture to the world. By targeting human interest, the show picks the topic that everyone can relate to—food—thus demonstrating its core message. The show uses media flexibly to enhance foreigners’ understanding toward China.